1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chargers for mobile devices. In particular, the present invention relates to chargers for mobile devices having a flexible charging platform that can be folded or rolled up for greater compactness and portability.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Most portable computing devices (e.g., cellular or smart telephones, notebook computable and tablet computers) require frequent recharging, as a relatively small battery size is often key to device compactness and weight. As many such devices can provide only one or two days of useful service between recharging, chargers are also required to be compact and portable, so that a traveler who needs to be away for more than one or two days may be able to bring the charger along.
Generally speaking, there are two types of chargers for mobile devices on the market. The first type requires a cable to connect the mobile device to the charger. The cable designs for this type of chargers are often customized or proprietary, so that a user carrying multiple mobile devices may have to carry multiple chargers. Furthermore, plugging and unplugging the cable to and from the mobile device cause wear and tear on both the connector on the cable and the corresponding connector on the mobile device. As a result, a second type of chargers has appeared. This second type of chargers does not require a cable between the charger and the mobile device. (In this detailed description, a charger that does not require a cable to connect to a mobile device is referred to as a “wireless charger”). Instead, charging is achieved by induction using a changing magnetic field. Efficiency in inductive charging, however, is very low, so that a significant amount of heat is often generated because of the inductive loss. Inductive chargers are also typically bulky and costly.